Similarities Between Dunstan And Percy In Charles Dickens 'Fifth Business'

Understanding The Diversity Of A Friend/Enemy

When reaching the understanding of how two people may contrast in an impactful

way, Charles Dickens, an English writer and a social critic once explained: “There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast” (Charles Dickens). In most situations it is often a difficult task to state the contrast between individuals. In relation to Fifth Business, Dunstan and Percy maintain a relationship unlike any other

while facing challenges as their journey proceeds up until the end of the novel. Some may acknowledge their relationship from a friendship perspective while others may see it from

a nemesis point of view. In Robertson Davies's Fifth Business, the contrast between

the
characters can be interpreted through their actions and thoughts, which is expressed
several times through both Dunstan and Percy in terms of how they demonstrated their
outer and inner values that they both contain and their own personal love life.

The most prominent way where Dunstan and Percy contrast is values. Seen throughout Fifth Business, Dunstan is trying to discover who he is and wants to become while what Percy wants is more obvious. Dunstan is a character that wants to seek spiritualistic values such as his faith and the good he sees in others and himself. “Where Boy lived high, I lived – well, not low, but in the way congenial to myself. I thought twenty-four dollars was plenty for a ready-made suit, and four dollars a criminal price for a pair of shoes. I changed my shirt twice a week and my underwear once. I had no yet developed any expensive tastes and saw nothing wrong with a good boarding-house” (Davies 113). The spectacle observation Dunstan makes about Percy reveals that even though Percy was living a high quality life with more than enough to live off of, Dunstan could care less. Through the perspective of Dunstan's perception of faith, he is considered someone who holds the values of inner spiritualistic desire and outer

spiritual things and at the same time he tries to discover the good in himself. Also, Dunstan is a re-ensuring and compatible character that realizes the more important things in life and will probably not gain any control over anything because it is an aspect to what Dunstan does not sees as important in his everyday life as much as Percy does, which can be supported through the words Dunstan restates about himself, "So you provide romance, I said. I provide something that strengthens faith” (132). Not only does he state who he sees in himself, but by seeing the values of others and their faith, which is better explained by the words he describes about them; “Because we love the saint and want him to be more like ourselves, we attribute some imperfection to him”(172), and "If you think her a saint, she is a saint to you”(174). Overall, the aspect that relates to the contrast of Dunstan and Percy is most strongly supported by the values they hold with several occurring situations within Fifth Business.

Percy's values completely contradict the values that Dunstan holds.

Percy wants more control and materialism, while Dunstan's mind is somewhere else. This is a temptation of eagerness that Percy seeks that occurs throughout Fifth Business and never changes. Percy is impressed and seeks for more money and greater autonomy. As expressed by Percy; “I don't mean you should have secret drunken weeks and a widow in a lacy flat who expects you every Thursday, like some suburban ruffian. You are a lot more than that. But every man has a devil, and a man of unusual quality, like yourself, Ramsay, has an unusual devil. You must get to know your personal devil” (230). Rather than the value of spirituality Dunstan holds, Percy holds the values of control and materialism and at the same time enjoys the rush he gets when he is having a thrill of a good time. Not only is Percy a character of greed and self-autonomy, but he also shows this characteristic in a more oblivious way. As an example, the position both Dunstan and Percy had in the war greatly reiterates the fact Percy has more power than Dunstan, hence the term “queer” (196) said by Percy to Dunstan. As Dunstan gets his leg blown off, Percy gains an overwhelming amount of authority as an officer and stays away from all danger. Another well argumentative reason to reveal the values Percy contains is seen through what other people may see in him, a “womanizer” because Percy enjoys womanizing and has several affairs. As

Percy quotes; "We looked into each other's eyes and I knew that he was afraid, and I knew also that he would fight, lie, do anything rather than admit what I knew" (23), he is re-ensuring and stating the fact that he is more powerful than Dunstan and is worth more in every way and at the same time is re-stating his position compared to Dunstan's position. As quoted by J.McIntyre, a professor at the University of Prince Edward Island: “The conflict that exists between Percy and Dunstan creates a stimulating plot as the two provide each other with perfect opposites, while remaining best of friends” (J.McIntyre, eng. Dept. U. of PEI). This statement exemplifies how their relationship is beyond any other relationship and is expressing the surprising existence of the relationship up until the end of the novel despite the contradictory between both characters.

Throughout the novel, the contrast of Dunstan and Percy is further revealed through the relationships they both have with Leola. The contrast can certainly be supported through one of the most important relationship they both have with Leola. Leola is the girl in the novel, which both Dunstan and Percy fight over. Leola is involved in a relationship with both of them at different points of the novel. The different ways in which the audience can view the two relationships can show the importance of how Dunstan and Percy feel as well as their moral views. By showing the words spoken by Dunstan about the reason why Dunstan does not want to go further with his intimate relationship with Leola; “I thought I was in love with Leola, by which I meant that if I could have found her in a quiet corner, and if I had been certain that no one would ever find out, and if I could have summoned up the courage at the right moment, I would have kissed her. But, looking back on it now, I know that I was in love with Mrs Dempster” (Davies 174), Dunstan is describing it with a deeper meaning than just simply words that are coming out of his mouth. By referring Mrs. Dempster, he is showing his gratitude towards Leola and more than a simply reasoning behind why he does not love Leola and not for just her beauty. Dunstan cares more for her inner beauty than her outer simply for the reasons why he refuses to marry her and it completely disregards the fact that Dunstan is if nothing, but the opposite of Percy and is a man of good quality all around. For example, Dunstan tells Diana he has no intention of marrying Leola either. This shows that Dunstan does not care for his own needs in a positive way and cares deeply for his future. Overall, Dunstan is simply trying to express his own personal decisions that would impact his future, hopefully in a positive way. The relationship between Dunstan and Leola is a connection that portrays what Dunstan sees in the relationship compared to the completely adverse relationship Percy sees.

Percy's relationship with Leola contradicts the relationship Dunstan has with Leola. As Dunstan expresses; “Of course he had to spend most of his time in Ottawa. He saw little of Leola or his children during the war years” (Davies 183). This statement reveals the present conditions of Percy careness towards Leola, which as a result is nothing compared to the caring loving hearted feeling Dunstan has for Leola. When Percy was married to Leola, Percy did not last as he goes on and has several affairs. As Dunstan sees the inner beauty of Leola, Percy only cares about her outer beauty. For example, when Leola dies Percy does not go to her funeral representing the lack of caring sentimental appreciation Percy did not really express towards Leola. Overall, the love life both Dunstan and Percy are contrasted in every way necessary without even the smallest evidence of comparing both relationships. The following statement portrays the visualization seen through Percy’s eyes as nothing more than an object that is taking by only her look; “A man with my physical needs can’t be tied down to one woman – especially not a woman who does not see sex as a partnership – who does not give anything, who just lies there like a damned sandbag” (185). Dunstan could be interpreted through his true self as a caring and loving character he shows towards others, as Percy on the other hand shows care for only what is on the outside and not inside.

Overall, the interpretation of how the audience may visualize the contrast between Dunstan and Percy could be seen through the actions and thoughts of both characters. As a result the contrast relies heavily on the several situations that occurs place in Fifth Business, which is seen through the two most important subjects; their values and love life. In terms of the following quote; “There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast,” the light can be seen as Dunstan while Percy can be seen as the dark and as a result can be clearly stated as two completely different scales, but through the eyes of others depending on the personality of whomever is the reader can see it as vice versa.